Patient Rights

Passavant Area Hospital provides health care for the sick and injured. The following statement of patients' rights and responsibilities is Passavant’s policy to reach this goal.

This is a summary of the principal responsibilities Passavant and its patients have to each other. There are additional rights and responsibilities involved in the patient/physician relationship, and these rights and responsibilities may be discussed with the attending physician.

Memorial Health System also has a Clinical Ethics Center available to patients and families for help understanding your rights, or making healthcare decisions.

Passavant performs many functions, including prevention and treatment of disease, and education of health professionals and patients. Concern for our patients and the recognition of their dignity as human beings, takes precedence over the pursuit of clinical research.

Translation services are available for free in Spanish, French, American Sign Language and other languages. Call 217-245-9541, ext. 3508. Passavant Area Hospital and the Memorial Health System comply with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

Patient Rights

You have a right to receive safe, considerate and respectful care.

You have the right to receive care in a safe setting.

You have the right to be free from neglect; exploitation; corporal punishment and verbal, mental, physical and sexual abuse.

You have the right to be free from restraint or seclusion, of any form, that is imposed as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation by staff.

You have the right to keep and use personal clothing and possessions,
unless this infringes on others' rights or is medically or therapeutically contraindicated.

You have a right to receive medical treatment, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation and
gender Identity or expression or the source of payment for your care.

You have the right to be well-informed about your illness, possible treatments and
likely outcome and to discuss this information with your
care providers.

You have the right to expect quick response to reports of pain.

You have the right to receive information in a manner that meets your individual needs.

You have the right to ask your physicians, nurses and other caregivers questions about the care you receive.

You have the right to
obtain the name, position and professional
relationship of all individuals who are treating you.

You have the right to
receive visitors as designated by you; as well as the right to deny any or all visitors. You also
have the right
to be
informed of any restrictions/limitations that are placed on your visitation rights; these limitations/restrictions may be made by
the hospital in order to protect your health and safety of all patients. The hospital does
not restrict, limit or deny visitation privileges on the basis of race color, national origin, religion, sex. gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.

You have a right to have a family member, domestic partner, friend or other individual to be present with you for emotional support during your hospital stay.

You have the right
to have a family member
or representative of your choice and your physician notified promptly of your admission to the hospital.

You have the right to have
an ethics consultation without charge to review the plan of care and to discuss your rights or to attempt to settle ethical
disagreements or conflicts with health professionals.

You have the right to have an advance directive, such as a living will or durable power of attorney for health care. These documents express your choices about your future care or name someone to decide
if you cannot speak for yourself.

You have the right to give or withhold informed consent to produce or use recordings, films or other images for the purposes other than medical care.

To the extent allowed by law, you have the right to refuse any treatment and be informed of the medical consequences of your refusal, and to leave the facility against your physician’s advice. Should you refuse any treatment or leave the facility against your physician’s advice, neither your physician nor the facility will be responsible for any harm such action may cause you or others. Note that there are circumstances, such as with regard to mental health patients, in which treatment may be provided against your refusal and your ability to leave the facility may be prohibited.

You have the right to reasonable privacy and confidentiality concerning your medical care and the communications and records pertaining to it. Third party payers, medical care review committees and authorized
hospital personnel and medical staff may have access to your records.

You
have the right to expect that treatment records are confidential unless you have given permission to give out information, or reporting is required or permitted by law. When the hospital releases records to others, such as insurers, it emphasizes that
the records
are confidential.

You have a right to expect that within its capacity, the hospital will provide a reasonable response to requests for its services.

You have the right to obtain information concerning the relationship of the hospital with other health care and
educational Institutions insofar as your
care is concerned.

You have the right to be involved in the decision making process related to your care. (Parents/guardians of children or adolescents have the right to be involved on behalf of their children with limited exceptions.)

You have a right to be advised if any portion of your care or treatment program is a part of any experimental or research program.

You have a right to refuse to participate in any experimental or research program.

You have the right to review your medical records and to have the information explained to you.

You have the right to be told of realistic care alternatives when hospital care is no longer appropriate.

You have the right to request the opinion of a consultant.

You have a right to obtain information about the hospital's teaching and education programs. You may elect to refuse to participate in all or any part of these programs.

You have a right to see your hospital bill and have it explained to you.

You have a right to inquire about financial
assistance in paying your bill or filing insurance forms.

You have a right to know what hospital rules and regulations apply to your conduct as a patient.

You have the right to freely voice complaints and recommend changes freely without being subject to coercion, discrimination, reprisal, or unreasonable interruption in care. If you have a complaint that cannot be resolved by the staff providing your care, you may contact Passavant Area Hospital (PAH) Customer Service at 217-479-5540.

Patient Responsibilities

In providing for our patients, the physicians and hospital staff recognize that the most effective results are obtained when the patient and health care team can work together as partners. As a patient, you will be expected, within the limits of your abilities, to assume a share of the responsibility for your healthcare.

You have a responsibility to provide information about illnesses, hospitalizations, medications and other matters related to your health, both past and present.

You have a responsibility to cooperate with all personnel assigned to care for you and to ask questions if you do not understand any directions which they may give you.

You have a responsibility, both personally and on behalf of your visitors, to be considerate of other patients, particularly with regard to noise, smoking and the number of visitors who may come to see you.

You have a responsibility to keep any appointments connected with your care or treatment and to notify the appropriate parties in advance when they cannot be kept.

You have a responsibility to be prompt in the payment of your medical center bills, to provide the information necessary for insurance processing and to ask in a timely manner any questions you may have concerning the charges.

You have a responsibility to be respectful of others and the property of both others and the medical center.

You have a responsibility to abide by hospital rules and regulations and to see that your visitors do likewise.

You have a responsibility to aid the health care professionals in their efforts to return you to health by following their instructions.